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Once there was a lonely soul.

He grew up for a short time with love, but then miserable and abused, never to handle such a delicate emotion again. When he had been pushed into the abyss by his master, he’d at least thought nothing could get worse than the suffering of that hell. 

But a perpetual oblivion awaited him outside the abyss. 

He got his revenge, he became a well-respected emperor of the human and demon realms both, he had many vie for his attention and love, but never found true companionship in any when he tried. 

Even when he discovered the remnants of his crazed father, vengeful and crazed — the only family he had left — he heartlessly sank that man to the bottom of a sea of lava so that he would not harm the common people in his misdirected rage. 

Tedious, tedious, tedious. Lonely, lonely, lonely. 

Those were the two emotions that made up the majority of Luo Binghe’s life. He had nothing worth living for but stayed alive out of duty to the world that birthed him, to keep it balanced and peaceful. 

Even after a million years, these emotions, worn like rock under the steady and constant pressure of a river, disintegrated until he had nothing left but absolute weariness towards his own existence, wanting nothing for himself. 

Except, perhaps, a happier ending. 

He had lived for a million years, he had watched generations of men come and go, rise and fall, laugh and cry, love and lose. He wanted that. Whatever troubles he had to go through, whatever joys he could experience, anything, please, anything that would bring a mortal emotion to his cold heart once again — he needed it. 

However, as things were, he could not fathom such a different existence than the one he had led. In his deep and calculating mind, he could not think of the correct variables that could bring about such a change to the banal existence he suffered day in and day out.

If such a thing could never come to pass, then Luo Binghe wished that instead, he never had to deal with the burden of having been born, of ever having to exist in the first place. 

And so, when he could no longer even summon feelings of piety towards the world that birthed him, he decided at last to use his body as a furnace, and his own soul as fuel to forge a group of spirits.

These spirits, carrying bits of his soul and the spirit of his last and final wish, would take it upon themselves to go back to when it all began and attempt to find Luo Binghe his happy ending. 

Luo Binghe was at last at peace, soul split as it was. 

He had no consciousness, at least the majority of the time. Sometimes his soul would awaken, taking quick breaths and barely second-long peeks through the eyes of the spirits that he had created and see the work they arduously attempted. 

Failure, failure, failure. 

Whatever he caught a glimpse of was always of failure. 

Luo Binghe thrown into the abyss cannot surmount the horrors found within. He dies. 

Luo Binghe at the tender age of nine cannot reign in his emotions over the fact that his mother has died. His cradle seal breaks early and he lives the rest of his life on the run until he is ultimately put down by a righteous cultivator. 

Luo Binghe survives long and prosperously but becomes numb to the world. He dies.

Luo Binghe becomes a cruel, despotic emperor. He marries hundreds of women but is bored, and feels a missing key to his happiness. Surrounded by women, fame, and glory, he does not know he is unloved. He dies. 

Luo Binghe succumbs to the faulty cultivation manual. He dies. 

A soul from another world, a transmigrator, is brought in, placed into the body of a wife. They do not love Binghe, do not even care to try. He dies. 

Another transmigrator is brought in. They die at Luo Binghe’s own hands. He dies. 

A hundred-thousand lives, a hundred-thousand failures. No added or removed variables make any meaningful change. 

Nothing, nothing, nothing can be done. 

He dies.

When enough of his spirits gathered in the same place, Luo Binghe (perhaps Luo ‘Bingzu’ would be more apt at this point) would become more and more whole — closer to before he had shred his soul into a million pieces, into those countless little spirits. When this happens, he frustratedly orders them to scatter so that with them, his cognizance would scatter as well, allowing him to return to his restful repose and blissful ignorance of the many failing worlds, to the many miserable Binghes that could not be saved. 

A happy end… was it truly possible? Even in an infinite number of universes, an infinite amount of loops, even having the spirits attempting to slightly tweak matters so that they’d perhaps come out better, was it impossible for any Luo Binghe to ever end up happy?

He did not want to be awake for such a realization. When he was small, as scattered as possible, the striking numbness of such a reality could not sink further into his very being. 

A million more years of rest, and yet Luo Bingzu was still oh so very tired. 

But something has changed amidst the latest failures. 

An author that failed to change the world, he heard in his brief moments of awareness, after being transmigrated, he still fails to change the world even after 60 years. 

[If not him, then what about the other one from his world? That one seems to be of strong mind :o] says one spirit to another. [Why don’t we give him a try?]

[I’ll fetch him myself!] the spirit who hosts the most condensed part of Luo Bingzu’s soul replies, the one he is thus frustratedly the most awake for’s adventures. [What can go wrong?]

Apparently for his little spirit: very much can go wrong.

They drew a bad lot for the hopeful transmigration candidate’s soul. 

Shen Qingqiu.

After striking a deal with Shen Qingqiu, wherein he would be relinquished to a life of satisfaction in another world, and the newcomer would take his place. Unfortunately, by the time the new soul was inserted into the empty husk of his cruel master, the Luo Binghe of this universe was already fourteen. He had already suffered too much.

That world was a lost cause.

Luo Bingzu closed his eyes and returned to his slumber. 

Failure, failure, failure. 

This slumber did not last long, however, as he was forced awake only some years later by a large gathering of tittering spirits. So many pieces of his soul together forced lucidity upon him. 

Like a thundering storm in the distance approaching, he grumbled, a wordless urging for the spirits to scatter once more. In their excited tizzy, they ignored him. 

[He did it!] crowed one of them joyously. [He even motivated User 001 to help make the ending better!]

[How do you feel about offering him a free scenario pusher?] asked another one, before saying in a motherly tone: [Take it! Take it from my paycheck if you have to, the little master deserves a reward don’t you think?]

[He did not wish to kill you?] yet another spirit said, bewilderment flickering through its being. [Did he not remember when you forced that Failed Luo Binghe to torture him? Did it mean nothing?]

[Shh!] scolded another. [Why remind him when we have been offered graciousness? I want my increased salary payments to stay the same!]

A murmur of agreement sounded from all of the spirits. 

[Silence!] said the soul-dense spirit. [Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to all of us. We can all celebrate together and all who wish to offer presents unto my host may email their presents over to me and I will make sure they’re delivered. My host never says no to a free deal, I’m certain he will be pleased.]

“What is going on?” Luo Bingzu’s deep voice rumbled at last, crossing the space-time continuum that the spirits had gathered at like the first quake of the earth before a natural disaster. He was tired of trying to make sense of what they were saying without context. His head hurt. 

[Luo Bingzu!] was shouted several times as if the spirits had only just remembered what their joined presence brought about, only further worsening Luo Bingzu’s headache. 

The soul-dense spirit is the one who came to the center of the crowd, becoming Luo Bingzu’s heart by way of its position within the crowd.

[Luo Bingzu,] the little spirit began, its demeanor a little cowed but equally excited for the news it had to share with him. 

[Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations. Important things must be said three times. Luo Binghe has achieved a happy ending.]

[Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations!] echoed the spirits in a melodic chorus. [Luo Binghe has achieved a happy ending.]

Luo Bingzu, who had long since lost the ability to feel emotions other than weariness, found his non-existent heart stopping in his chest. 

“Luo Binghe has achieved a happy ending…?” he asked, voice pitifully small. 

[Luo Binghe has achieved a happy ending.] repeated all the spirits together. 

[Listen to this tale,] said the soul-dense spirit. [One of a hopeless beginning, an unexpected progression for the better, before miserable misunderstandings reigned and nearly upturned this timeline as well. However, despite all the turmoil, this system’s chosen host has chosen to love Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe has achieved his happy ending.]

Luo Bingzu listened patiently to the tale that the soul-dense spirit spun, and did not become upset when another spirit who was in charge of the other transmigrator in the same world interrupted and added details from its own perspective. 

Shen Yuan, Shen Qingqiu, Peerless Cucumber, whatever name this person chose to be called by, he changed Luo Binghe’s fate. Where the spirits had failed, where innumerable Luo Binghe’s had suffered and died, burning bright light stars before dying out with either a ginormous bang or a quiet snuffing out, where other transmigrated souls had failed nor cared—

Shen Yuan had. 

He cared for Luo Binghe. 

He mourned for Luo Binghe.

He fought for and protected Luo Binghe.

He loved Luo Binghe.

He chose to love Luo Binghe.

For the first time in millenia, Luo Bingzu felt his soul, whole as it could be with all his countless spirits gathered together, tremble. 

Someone chose Luo Binghe. 

A bottomless grief filled the chasm of Luo Bingzu’s split heart, as if at the same time mending the cracks with gold. 

A deep sob pierced Luo Bingzu’s throat. If he were corporeal, he’d have collapsed to his knees before ultimately falling onto his hands next. His hand would be digging in the floor underneath him as his hands folded into fists. His whole body would have been shaking with the power of this emotion that filled him. 

Even if he still had a body, Luo Bingzu is not sure he would have tears left to cry, but would nevertheless desperately wish for the ability to. 

After all this time, after all this suffering, it had been worth it. 

Thousands of lifetimes, thousands of deaths, thousands of failures. The flame of Luo Bingzu’s life cut for this very purpose. 

There was a Luo Binghe who was not just content, not just happy, but loved. 

There was a Luo Binghe who was loved so dearly and cherished so wholly and entirely that the very fate of his hopeless existence was salvaged from its fated misery. 

This Shen Yuan had changed the very course of fate with his love, and this fate was still being written. 

It would continue for the better, either in the world that birthed Luo Binghe or the world that birthed Shen Yuan— their very souls were entwined for the next eternity to come. 

This was not some mystical red string of fate binding them together. This was a carefully woven thread, made through daily and diligent effort and when the pair finished their work, they carefully placed this binding string to one another, double knotting it for security. 

An intentional love. A promise not to quit. 

Luo Bingzu, amidst his tearless cries, sat back on his knees, head tilted to the skyless void. Ignoring the fluttering spirits worriedly hovering around his incorporeal body, as numerous as stars filling the sky, a painful smile graced Bingzu’s face.

He closed his eyes, but for once it was not to force himself back into apathetic slumber. 

For the first time in all of Luo Bingzu’s recollection, he felt the stir of hope. What a wonderful emotion to bask in.  

“Little spirits,” Luo Bingzu, spoke, voice soft yet raw. “Might this ancestor beg a favor?”

-

After his emotional escapades in the modern world with Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan (that is, Shen Qingqiu once again) found some relief in returning to Cang Qiong Mountain. 

The system had very kindly reversed the years he had been missing from this world, and promised to continue doing so in the future so that any future trips home would not be so… time consuming. 

Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu’s relationship had advanced to new levels, to say the least. And Luo Binghe was certainly quick to make do with all the new information he learned from the internet — and in more ways than solely in the kitchen, much to the misery of Shen Qingqiu’s poor, poor back. 

Shen Qingqiu nearly died the first time Luo Binghe had sweetly called his birth name in the bedroom of their shared home. Who gave that young man the right to be so mischievous!? How dare he grin when Shen Qingqiu flustered? Punishment! Punishment, Shen Qingqiu says! And who gave Luo Binghe the right to laugh and sweetly agree before going to run his assigned laps!?

All of that goes to say, they have since settled back into a somewhat familiar and comfortable routine like they had before the whole reverse-transmigration vacation nonsense. 

And just as they had done before that whole adventure, Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu spent their time equally at Cang Qiong Mountain, the Demon Realm, and their hidden little cottage, rarely spending time apart unless their respective work demanded it of them. 

But now, in addition to the fact that there were no more secrets between them, once in a while they would find time to go on rendezvous back to the modern world, where they’d put down their swords and enjoy the luxuries it had to offer. 

Although Luo Binghe did not enjoy the modern world as much as Shen Qingqiu did, having before declared only offering it a little more consideration than he would have otherwise because it was the place where Shen Qingqiu’s soul had been born — again, who gave him the right to be such a sweet-talker!? — he eventually did find some things he enjoyed. Regrettably, two of those things consisted of shower sex and engaging with Peerless Cucumber on the Proud Immortal Demon Way forums on his own newly created accounts. This boy sure had strange hobbies! 

(Let’s not hope for the day he learned what a love hotel was.)

Ahem. This was of course not mentioning how difficult it was for Shen Yuan to reply to Luo Binghe’s posts to him on the forums while both trying to keep his identity as Peerless Cucumber a secret and while dealing with his clingy self peeking at his phone whenever he deigned to pick it up. 

God forbid Shen Yuan look at his phone and not Luo Binghe!

But in the end, Shen Yuan could not even begrudge his husband for this fact. After all, when the peerless beauty of a protagonist is sat halfway in your lap and pitifully resting his chin on your chest while looking at you with the most starry begging eyes, what sane person would not look, would not touch?

And as everyone is sure to know, Shen Yuan is very sane. 

Anyways! Their new routine is peaceful. Shen Qingqiu could honestly not ask for a better life. He is able to see his family when he wishes and still return home to his self-made family on Cang Qiong as well, all while never having to leave his husband’s side. 

Shen Qingqiu is happy and content.

Well, as happy and content as he can be while Luo Binghe has once again been forced away by a mission to the demon realm. It had already been several days! 

…He missed his husband, so sue him.

Fortune seemed to be smiling down upon him, however, because while he was sitting in the main room of the bamboo house, he heard a familiar set of footsteps make their way up the pebbled walkway leading to their home. 

Shen Qingqiu immediately stood up and hurried to the door, only pausing to smooth out evidence of his eagerness and checking his sleeves for his fan. When he confirmed it was there, he held it in his hand and opened the door to the bamboo house, seeing Luo Binghe pause partway up the front steps. 

“Welcome home, Binghe.” he greeted, a warm and unhidden smile on his face. 

“I’m home,” Luo Binghe said, emotion in his voice. Aiya, this silly boy of his, always so intense. 

Ah, but speaking of, taking a look at Luo Binghe’s appearance— didn’t something seem off?

His eyes were a bit dull and dark bags sat heavily beneath them. Even his hair sat flatter on his head for the oiliness that had accrued seemed to weigh it down. 

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but tut and meet Luo Binghe halfway, grabbing his face between his two hands and tilting the other’s chin up. “My poor Binghe, what happened?”

Luo Binghe’s handsome eyebrows turned downwards and he made the face he always made before he was about to cry, yet no tears actually came. Instead, he tilts his head further into Shen Qingqiu’s warm hands, almost nuzzling them. “This disciple is very tired, A-Yuan. That is all.”

Shen Qingqiu jumped a little at the use of his real name. He conspiratorally looked back and forth to make sure no one was around but turning his gentle touch into a light pinch. “What have I said about using that name outside of the bamboo house?”

“Sorry,” he apologizes, closing his eyes which only further emphasizes the heavy weight around them. 

Shen Qingqiu’s heart trembles at such a pitiful sight. How was it possible to stay mad when such a handsome youth was so clearly troubled? Perhaps his excursion had been more tiresome than either of them were expecting. Ah, if only he hadn’t had to stay and overview his disciples’ recital, then he could have joined Luo Binghe…

“Forget it,” he says, moving his hands down to instead pull both of Luo Binghe’s into his own. “Come. This husband will help remove the weariness of Luo Binghe’s trip.”

Luo Binghe stumbles a little but continues moving forward, allowing himself to gently be led inside of the bamboo house.

The first thing Shen Qingqiu does is lead the poor man into their shared bathroom, quickly filling the wooden tub with warm water from the faucet Luo Binghe had so kindly reverse-engineered for their home some many months earlier. Luo Binghe sits tiredly slumped on a small wooden stool to the side while Shen Qingqiu busies himself with the task, waiting for Shen Qingqiu to remove his hand from the water once he’s deemed it suitably warm enough. 

Standing once more, Shen Qingqiu removes his own outer robes so that they do not become wet, leaving himself only in his two innermost ones. He ties his hair back into a high ponytail, regretfully yearning for his short hair from the modern world at the moment. 

Having prepared himself, he kneels in front of Luo Binghe on the stool, the poor thing looked to be so tired he must be nearly falling asleep where he was sitting. And yet the silly boy refused to close his eyes, staring as intently and for as long as he could at Shen Qingqiu himself. 

As a means of rousing him a bit and showing his affection for the pitiful man in front of him, Shen Qingqiu leans forward and places a tender kiss on his huadian. “Stay awake for me, husband, this bath will make you feel refreshed.”

Luo Binghe gives a simple nod before Shen Yuan reaches forward and begins to undress his husband, taking it slow and making sure his robes are neatly folded on the side. When it came to his final outer robe, Luo Binghe looked a little bashful. 

Shen Qingqiu prayed his husband was not thinking any dirty thoughts in this state — he needed rest after all — and helped him remove his final robe. Seeing the familiar scar on his chest, he smiled faintly. Indeed, as his husband had said before, such a thing could never make Shen Qingqiu forget him, even if he had said it in a way that would make the average person question the state of his mental health. 

Regardless, he could not help himself from leaning forward and giving a quick peck to the scar before standing back up and helping Luo Binghe carefully into the bathtub. Usually his shame would eat him alive, but the boy clearly needed some pampering! Look, even his usually bouncy and lovely hair was flat! The signs point to a cure through coddling!

And so with Luo Binghe gently sat into the tub, the other seemed to immediately sigh and relax backwards, but still never closing his eyes, still looking at Shen Qingqiu. 

Shen Qingqiu felt himself fluster, and focused instead on pulling the stool to the side of the tub where he’d be at Luo Binghe’s back, escaping his attention. “Let this master wash your hair first, hm?”

“Okay,” Luo Binghe assented, voice a pleasurable-sounding deep from his exhaustion. Shen Qingqiu opened a nearby wicker basket and pulled out three ceramic jars. He placed two on the ground before opening the lid to one, placing it back down, and slowly opening the lids to all the jars. 

Once he completed this task, he grabs the first one again, leaning against Luo Binghe’s wet back and stretching his arms around his broad shoulders so that he could place the jar under his nose. “I have a couple of different hair washing solutions,” he explained when Luo Binghe tilted his head backwards, looking slightly confused. “Smell them, let me know which one you like the most.”

Luo Binghe tilted his head back obediently and sniffed the solution. Shen Qingqiu patiently brought the other two under his nose for him to smell. “Which one would you like today?”

Seemingly unable to pick, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh at the small furrow on his brows. Luo Binghe tilted his head backwards again and seemed to be very slightly pouting. How cute.

Unexpectedly, Luo Binghe turned his whole body around and stood on his knees so that he could grab Shen Qingqiu and pull him against his wet chest. 

“Binghe!” he scolded. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Excuse this Binghe’s disobedience,” Luo Binghe murmured close to Shen Qingqiu’s ear, sending an involuntary shiver of pleasure down his spine. Before Shen Qingqiu could protest further, he heard Luo Binghe take a big sniff before releasing him and sitting back down in the tub. 

“I’ll have the third one, since it smells like A-Yuan.”

Disobedient!? Disobedient, ah!? Shen Qingqiu would—!

Too stunned at the natural audacity of his disciple, Shen Qingqiu could fathom no words. Instead he picked up the jar Luo Binghe requested and angrily scooped a generous portion of the cold gel and unceremoniously dropped it on Luo Binghe’s head, feeling vindicated by the shiver that went up his husband’s spine this time.

Still, despite himself being bullied, he couldn’t find it in himself to bully Luo Binghe for much longer. Instead, he began to work to diligently scrub the gel into his husband’s wet curls, paying extra attention to his scalp and the ends of his hair. 

“You big baby,” Shen Qingqiu complained out loud to himself, never faltering in gentle scrubbing. “You could not even wash your hair without this master? How spoiled.”

Usually, Shen Qingqiu would anticipate tears from Luo Binghe or maybe even a smirk, as he tended to default to nowadays.

Instead, Luo Binghe drew his knees to his chest and without even looking back towards Shen Qingqiu hesitatingly asked, “...Is it okay? For me to be spoiled?”

Way to break this master’s heart! Ahh!!!

Shen Qingqiu picked up a small wooden ladle and scooped water over Luo Binghe’s head. “Of course it is okay for Binghe to be spoiled. You may be a big baby but you are this master’s big baby. Binghe can always act spoiled around me.”

Luo Binghe turned around and faced his master with widened eyes and a faint flush blooming across his cheeks. “Mm,” he agreed before obediently turning back around. A moment more passed between them and one more ladle-full had been dumped on Luo Binghe’s head before he seemed to muster up the courage to ask, “Then, can A-Yuan continue to spoil this one?”

Shen Qingqiu smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and simply replied, “Of course,” and continued to help Luo Binghe bathe. 

When they had at last finished, Shen Qingqiu allowed Luo Binghe to enjoy the warm water for a minute more as he packed up all the oils and soaps he used back into their wicker storage. When he was done, he helped Luo Binghe up and out of the tub, mindful of how much more the other leaned on him, much more relaxed from the bath. 

Slowly Shen Qingqiu helped him dry off and put on his inner robes. No need for anything more when they were just staying at home together for the rest of the day. And besides, Luo Binghe couldn’t cry that it was scandalous or tempting anymore when he accompanied Shen Qingqiu to bed in the modern world in the same shorts and T-shirts he did!

To finish it off, Shen Qingqiu gently urged Luo Binghe to tilt his head forward before wrapping the towel around his head, just like his meimei and his mother would do when they kept their hair long. And ourgh— Shen Qingqiu felt like he was going to vomit blood. His sleepy Binghe with a towel wrapped up tall on his head. It was simply so gap moe he could die. 

“A-Yuan…?” Luo Binghe asked, confused by the constipated expression on Shen Qingqiu’s face. 

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing!” Shen Qingqiu waved a hand in front of his face. “Before I send Binghe to bed, would he like dinner?”

Luo Binghe seemed to hesitate. Shen Qingqiu knew he preferred to practice inedia when he was tired, not willing to eat another disciple’s food but too exhausted to even cook himself, but Shen Qingqiu still thoughtfully asked anyhow. A man could change his mind whenever he wished!

Luo Binghe seemed deep in thought, clearly considering it. 

“How about this,” Shen Qingqiu began, pulling off one of his inner robes that Luo Binghe had wetted earlier and beginning to search their closet for a replacement. “This Shen Qingqiu has learned a lot from cooking together with Binghe lately. What if you let Shizun take care of Binghe’s meal today.”

“A-Yuan—” Luo Binghe began but Shen Qingqiu interrupted him before he could protest. 

“If you’re hungry, then you’re hungry. I’ll make you something light and warm. If Binghe is worried that I’ll mess it up then he is more than welcome to hover, but not to help. Today, this Shen will make an effort to take care of you a fraction as good as you’ve taken care of me.”

Luo Binghe’s face contorted for a moment, his mouth opening and closing as if he couldn’t find the words. Just as he did earlier, his husband only nodded, relenting to Shen Qingqiu’s mothering, and replied with a simple, “Okay.”

Shen Qingqiu went to the kitchen with Luo Binghe following closely behind him, heading straight for where they stored their ingredients. 

Shen Qingqiu meticulously pulled out some vegetables, the bag where they stored their rice, a cutting board, knives, and other cooking utensils he’d use while making his meal. All the while, Luo Binghe hovered, watching him closely.

Shen Qingqiu could only huff. He knew that the kitchen was Luo Binghe’s territory and that he’d had previous uh… ‘mistakes’ in the kitchen that warranted such behavior but nevertheless he should just trust Shen Qingqiu’s abilities! They’d made this same meal together enough times that he was fairly certain he’d mastered it at this point!

Twirling around, he found himself surprised to immediately be chest-to-chest with Luo Binghe. He had not realized his husband was hovering so close behind. 

The height difference between the two of them wasn’t as much as it was in the modern world, so Shen Qingqiu only had to look up just a little bit to see his husband’s starry obsidian eyes looking back into his own. All the features of his face were all the more visible with the towel still wrapped up on the top of his head. Shen Qingqiu could not believe that he had yet to remove that thing. 

Laughing quietly, he leaned in again and placed one kiss each on the unfortunately most notable feature on his face at the moment: the dark circles under his eyes. Luo Binghe startled at the sudden affection which caused Shen Qingqiu to laugh a little harder. His laugh was so big, he unconsciously wrapped his arms around Luo Binghe’s shoulders so he could laugh into his shoulder, shaking with the force of it. 

Luo Binghe seemed utterly frazzled today, his arms hovering unsurely in the air before finally returning the hug. It seemed his husband needed extra reassurance today. Everyone had these days, and Shen Qingqiu would not shy away from giving it like he had once in the past. 

Leaning back with a silly grin on his face, Shen Qingqiu commented, “The skin under your eyes is really quite soft.”

He watched as his husband’s face pinked and turned his face away with his mouth twisting in an embarrassed frown. 

Shen Qingqiu laughed to himself again but this time used his hands to turn Luo Binghe’s gaze back toward him. “If you can’t stand standing around, do this husband a favor and go fetch water from the pump.”

Luo Binghe, still looking starstruck, nodded once before stepping back, although he looked incredibly unhappy about separating from Shen Qingqiu. 

“Don’t forget to take that towel off of your head before you do it. This master will brush his disciple’s hair once he has the pot boiling.”

“Okay.” Luo Binghe nodded, taking the towel off his head. Long, wet, and slightly curled strands immediately fell all over his face and shoulders, giving him the impression of the girl from the Ring. Really, Luo Binghe was too cute today. “I’ll be back.”

Indeed, by the time Shen Qingqiu had finished washing and cutting some scallion, Luo Binghe returned hauling a bucket of water. 

“Thank you, Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu said, looking away from his work.

Luo Binghe stood obediently by Shen Qingqiu’s side watching him work with rapt attention. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t that untrustworthy, Binghe! Give him some credit!

He quietly went through the motions, washing his rice, cleaning utensils as he went, and listening to the quiet advice Luo Binghe offered once in a while. 

When at last everything had been prepared, and the stove had been left to simmer, Shen Qingqiu turned to Luo Binghe once again. “We have quite a bit of time, let’s get your hair sorted in the meantime.”

Once again, Shen Qingqiu was taking Luo Binghe by the hands and leading them into their shared room. He immediately sat Luo Binghe in front of the vanity only to stop for a moment when he looked down at his husband. 

It was late autumn, and the weather was beginning to take a turn for the chilly. As cultivators, Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe were more than capable of managing their internal body temperatures to fight off such chills, but still, that did not mean he was not one for the baser comforts and forced Luo Binghe to indulge in them with him. 

Having looked down at Luo Binghe sitting at their low vanity, he noticed his toes peeking out of the bottom of his pants, and that they were slightly reddened from the cold weather. And so, he left for only just a moment and returned with some fluffy socks that he asked Luo Binghe to bring with him back to this world. 

These were his, technically, and they were yellow with cucumber patterns, only going to about mid-calf. He kneeled down and lifted Luo Binghe’s leg before also lifting enough of his pant leg enough that he could slide the sock onto his first foot without issue. 

“A-Yuan, I am more than capable—” Luo Binghe protested. For as many acts of service he performed for Shen Qingqiu to show his love, it was refreshing that he still got flustered when Shen Qingqiu returned the favor a bit more intimately than he usually did. 

“I know. But this master already said he was taking care of Binghe today. Won’t you let him?”

Luo Binghe’s eyebrows twitched and looked away as if looking at something too bright, leaving Shen Qingqiu only a view of his pointed red ear. Luo Binghe was simply too easy to tease today!

He couldn’t help the warm smile that graced his face as he put on the other sock and stood back up. “Would Binghe also like me to grab a blanket to wrap around his shoulders?”

“I’m fine.” insisted Luo Binghe, dropping all formal speech in his fluster, turning back towards the vanity and picking up one hair oil at random and placing it into Shen Qingqiu’s hands. 

The smile on Shen Qingqiu’s face grew wider but instead of teasing his poor husband further, probably unused to being the one teased. He reached around for one of the jade combs on the vanity before beginning the long process of keeping Luo Binghe’s lovely hair tamed. “If Binghe insists.”

They went quietly through their usual routine, and Shen Qingqiu noticed Luo Binghe slowly melting behind him, utterly silent and dozing except for the rare moments when he would startle himself back into lucidity and look at Shen Qingqiu through the bronze mirror placed in their vanity as if to make sure he was still there. 

By the time he was done, Luo Binghe’s hair was gorgeous, shiny, and fluffy once again but the man himself was utterly relaxed and leaning his full weight backwards into Shen Qingqiu. 

An evil thought crossed Shen Qingqiu’s mind as he quietly put away his oils and the comb. If Luo Binghe was so sensitive today, then…He quickly ducked, causing Luo Binghe to be alarmed at suddenly finding himself falling backwards. 

Shen Qingqiu didn’t give him the chance to catch himself however, as he placed his arm at Luo Binghe’s back and quickly used his new lowered position to catch the back of his knees. He lifted Luo Binghe up with his cultivator strength and bounced him once to get him in an easier-to-carry position. How’s this for being his big baby?

The Luo Binghe in his arms had his arms pulled up to his chest like a poor bullied maiden and looked up dazedly at Shen Qingqiu. “A-Yuan…?” he asked in a small voice, clearly confused. 

But why be confused, ah!? He was going to make Shen Qingqiu feel bad. He knew that Luo Binghe loved to act in the girlfriend role whatever chance he could, but Shen Qingqiu’s thin face didn’t allow for him to indulge it with him too often. Now that Shen Qingqiu was finally taking the initiative today, why’d he have to look so small and confused!?

He found himself hesitating for the first time that day, “Does Binghe not want…?”

“No!” Luo Binghe shouted, scaring Shen Qingqiu with the power of the shout, and seemingly himself as well. His ears were red again. “A-Yuan… A-Yuan can carry me if he wishes.”

“But what about Binghe’s wishes?” Shen Yuan retorted immediately. How could he not care for his dear protagonist’s desires, especially when he looked so pitiful and helpless in his arms?

Luo Binghe did not answer Shen Qingqiu, in the end, but he did reach his arms up around his master’s neck and buried his face into Shen Qingqiu’s collarbones. At a sudden reversal of their usual roles, Shen Qingqiu was unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cry. 

But taking it for the wordless permission it was, he carried Luo Binghe to their bed and lightly placed him on it, pulling the blankets up nice and high. “Let me know if those socks make it too hot for you under the covers.”

“But A-Yuan,” Luo Binghe protested, why couldn’t this man sit back and allow himself to be fully pampered!? Why was he acting like Shen Qingqiu never took care of him!? You’re making him look like an inattentive husband, mister!! “What about dinner?”

“What about dinner?” Shen Qingqiu asked. “This master has it handled. It’s almost ready too… We can just have dinner together in bed, right? Ah, if only we had TV… I feel like you could use a good feel-good movie to cheer you up now— nothing like those dumb plot-hole ridden holiday movies you like so much though, alright?”

Luo Binghe simply stared at him. 

Shen Qingqiu immediately buckled. “Okay. Even if we had a TV at the moment I guess we could throw on one of your holiday movies, but just know I don’t believe in the magic of love-at-first-sight fixing everything wrong in your life alright?”

Luo Binghe reached up and grabbed Shen Qingqiu’s hand, allowing Shen Qingqiu to feel the rough slide of his hands as he gently felt up each of his fingers before finally twining their hands together. “I know. Hard work and effort make a relationship work, right?”

“Right.” Shen Qingqiu agreed, slightly flustered but glad that Luo Binghe was being agreeable. He leaned forward and pushed Luo Binghe’s bangs out of the way to place the second kiss on his huadian that day. “Stay here, this master will be back with dinner.”

Shen Qingqiu did not take long to take the pot off the stove, ladle two bowls, and add the proper garnishes. He even went so far as to place it all on the tray alongside two glasses of water. He would have preferred tea — he hadn’t been able to finish his pot because Luo Binghe had arrived — but he preferred his congee with something cold to wash them down after the warm porridge warmed the body. 

As for why he made congee: it was his and Luo Binghe’s dish. It was the dish Luo Binghe’s mother used to make for him, the first dish he made for Shen Qingqiu all those years ago, the one Luo Binghe assiduously worked to teach him how to make, and one that Shen Yuan felt would be filling on a cold day and a down day. It was perfect! Plus, while his version may not be as excellent as Luo Binghe’s (for some reason his husbands always came out better even when they used all the same ingredients or followed the same steps), it should still serve its purpose just fine. 

He carefully carried the tray into their bedroom and placed the tray down on the bedside table so the soft cushioning of the mattress wouldn’t cause anything to tip over. 

“Here,” Shen Qingqiu said, handing over the bowl and spoon into Luo Binghe’s waiting hands. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

Luo Binghe took the bowl in his hands and stared down at it as if he hadn’t seen such a thing in a million years and was confused. He asked uncertainly, “Congee..?”

Shen Qingqiu scooted closer to him on the bed, so close their legs were touching. “Yes. I know this is this master’s first time cooking it on his own but he’s fairly certain it came out well.”

Luo Binghe stared into the bowl, looking to be on the verge of tears once again for all the emotion that showed on his face. 

Shen Qingqiu sighed, reaching forward and grabbing the bowl from his hands, “Here, here, here,” he said as Luo Binghe’s pitiful face looked up at him, eyes now red-rimmed on top of the dark lines underneath. “This master will feed you if you’re really so upset.”

Before Luo Binghe could get in a word otherwise, although Shen Qingqiu did see him sit a bit straighter, he hurried to scoop a generous portion into the spoon, making sure he got rice, scallion, and chicken all in one spoonful, and he carefully tapped it against the bowl once so no liquid would leak onto the blankets. He brought the spoon up to Binghe’s mouth who seemed to only hesitate for a moment before obediently opening his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu watched him chew, and ignored the way Luo Binghe’s hands were fisted in their blankets. “How is it, how is it?” he asked, leaning forward a bit. 

“It’s delicious,” Luo Binghe smiled, for the first time that day. 

Shen Qingqiu smiled widely in turn. “Has this master truly outdone himself?”

“Truly,” Luo Binghe replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. 

Shen Qingqiu took the opportunity to eat a spoonful from Luo Binghe’s bowl, using the very same spoon he just used to feed Binghe. 

The minute the spoon left his mouth, he stood stone-still, and felt his very face crack. 

Too! Damn! Salty!

Opening his mouth, he indecorously allowed the soup to fall back into the bowl. 

Absolutely inedible!

“Luo Binghe! You ate such a thing!?”

“A-Yuan made it for me, so of course I did.”

“You said this master had outdone himself!” he protested, putting the bowl aside and getting angrily into Luo Binghe’s face. 

“And he had,” Luo Binghe said, an echo of laughter in his voice. 

Shen Qingqiu fished out his fan for the first time that day and beat it down on Luo Binghe’s head, albeit only as delicately as if he was punching a cloud. “You! Unfilial! Disciple!”

This time Luo Binghe did laugh. It was a quiet and almost unpracticed-sounding laugh that Shen Qingqiu had never heard from his husband before. He paused to listen to it, finding it charming in its own way. 

Luo Binghe stopped laughing and stared at Shen Qingqiu, with the smile on his face reaching all the way up to his eyes, which were now the same low red of the last embers in a fire before they went out. 

“Can we go to bed, A-Yuan?”

“But dinner—” he protested. 

“It’s fine,” Luo Binghe insisted. “I’ll wash the dishes tomorrow, don’t worry about them tonight.”

Shen Qingqiu hesitated. “Alright. But I’m sorry I couldn’t make you the congee you like…”

“It’s alright,” Luo Binghe said, waving a finger to put on the lights in the bedroom out with his qi, “It was the best congee anyone has ever made me.”

Shen Qingqiu felt slightly put out by his failure, but relented, laying himself down on the bed with Luo Binghe and pulling the heavy covers over both of their shoulders. 

Luo Binghe decided he wanted to be the one held tonight and snuggled down a little further down the bed, so that he could rest his head on Shen Qingqiu’s chest and be tucked neatly under his chin. 

Shen Qingqiu smiled and brought his arm around Luo Binghe’s shoulders in a big hug. 

They lay there for quite awhile, Shen Qingqiu on the verge of falling into sleep himself when he felt Luo Binghe’s breath ghost across his collarbone, sending a shiver down his spine. He wasn’t initiating anything sexual, just opening his mouth to prepare for a question.

“A-Yuan…” he breathed. 

“M’yes, Binghe?” he asked, voice slightly slurred from sleepiness. 

“Would A-Yuan love this one if his hair had gone all white?”

“Mmm,” he groaned slightly, urging his groggy brain to think of a coherent answer. “Silver fox. Smash. Next.”

Luo Binghe, despite his new acquaintance with much of what the internet had to offer, seemed confused by this answer and laughed lightly. “Is that good?”

“Yes,” Shen Qingqiu answered, hugging Luo Binghe a bit tighter. “It’s hot.”

“Okay,” Luo Binghe laughed slightly, looking absolutely helpless and still confused. 

“Ask your next question,” Shen Qingqiu urged with a yawn, stretching his jaw so wide that his chin pressed against the soft crown of Luo Binghe’s head.

“Would A-Yuan love this one if this one was millions of years old?”

“Isn’t this the same question? Yes, of course, next.”

Luo Binghe seemed to hesitate a bit more, “Would A-Yuan love this one if I was a different person? If he were a different person?”

Shen Qingqiu heaved a big sigh, and gave the question some thought.

Finally he reached down and tilted Luo Binghe’s head up so that he was looking up at Shen Qingqiu. 

“As long as our souls are in the same universe, I will find Binghe every time. I will choose Binghe everytime so long as he chooses me too. Even if the system had thrown me into the body of the most lowly creature of the abyss, I would have fallen for you. I’d just pray you’d love me in that body too.” 

Luo Binghe’s hands tightened from where they were before loosely grabbing Shen Qingqiu’s robes. He seemed dazzled, and breathed, “I would.”

“Okay then,” Shen Qingqiu said, as if the matter was resolved. “Maybe you could keep me as a pet. Maybe your soul-beast?”

“Definitely my soul-beast.” Luo Binghe agreed jokingly. “I’m so glad that Shen Qingqiu loves Luo Binghe. This one couldn’t be happier. Thank you for finding and loving him.”

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help scoffing. “Luo Binghe is hardly unlovable. I’m just fortunate to be the one that he chose to spend a lifetime with.”

Luo Binghe’s hands tighten imperceptibly more. “Then, we’re both fortunate.”

“Okay, I’ll agree. We’re both fortunate.”

They settled down once more and the quiet filled the air. Luo Binghe was the one, this time, who seemed to be on the verge of sleep.  Shen Qingqiu said quietly into the night, “While I think white hair can be quite good-looking, don’t get any too soon. It’d break my heart if you were sad enough everyday to get white hair.”

“...And if I was?” Luo Binghe asked, feeling so comfortable and safe in Shen Qingqiu’s arms that he was on the verge of crossing over to the realm of dreams. 

“Then this master would have to simply continue to pamper and love Binghe everyday.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shen Yuan.” 

(Important things must be said three times.)

They fell asleep in one another’s arms. 

-

When Shen Qingqiu woke the next morning, the bed was long cold. The dishes he had put to the side of the room were gone and likely sitting on the drying-rack clean already. Sometimes Shen Qingqiu wished Luo Binghe didn’t get up so early and enjoyed more time basking in bed with him. Especially on days like this where it was cold outside. 

When Shen Qingqiu lifted the blankets, he found a single white lotus where his husband had been sleeping before. Curiously, he gently picked it up and held it to his face. The petals were soft and it smelled fragrant. But where had it come from? 

For some reason, he felt unwilling to put the lotus down. Pulling a blanket around his shoulders, he took the lotus with him to go find Luo Binghe in the house. Maybe they could eat breakfast together before they got ready for the day. 

However, everywhere Shen Qingqiu looked in the house, he could not find a trace of Luo Binghe aside from the cleaned up dishes.

He sighed somewhat frustratedly, pulling gently at the petals of the lotus but not hard enough to pull them free from the stem. 

Suddenly, he heard familiar steps up the pebbled walkway to their home, and realized that Luo Binghe must’ve gone out to get some firewood or do some other chores. 

Just as he had done yesterday, Shen Qingqiu hurried out the door, prepared to scold Luo Binghe for leaving him alone with no note when he saw Luo Binghe coming up the path in his armor. Why was he in his armor?

“Shizun!” he shouted, rushing up and giving Shen Qingqiu a great big hug and a tender kiss to the side of his temple. “I’m home!”

“You’re home…?” Shen Qingqiu asked. “Where have you been?”

It was Luo Binghe’s turn to be confused this time. “I was helping Tianlang-Jun put down some demons that harassed him in his palace, although they were just annoying guests in the end, but doesn’t Shizun already know this?”

“Wasn’t Binghe with this one last night?”

They both came to a realization at the same time. 

“That other Luo Binghe visited Shizun again? And he didn’t realize?” Luo Binghe asked, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. 

“System??” Shen Qingqiu prodded it, asking. 

[Yes User?] the system cheerily chirped. 

“Who was that at my home last night??”

[Does User remember the story this system told him during his first vacation to his homeworld? Well that was our master Luo Bingzu!]

“Luo Bingzu!?” He was so shocked he said it out loud. Luo Binghe knew that name, Shen Qingqiu had apprised him of the story in his bid to keep his husband from killing the systems and so he thought weird questions like the one Luo Bingzu asked last night were a result from such a discussion.

“Shizun slept with another version of this one, again!?” Luo Binghe cried, dismayed. 

Was Shen Qingqiu some damsel like in those Western myths!? A god visited him in the night under the guise of his husband, leaving himself none the wiser, only to realize when the real husband arrived home from war the next day!? How embarrassing! Fool him once, shame on you. Fool him twice? Well…

Shen Qingqiu subconsciously tightened his grip on the white lotus in his hand. “I suppose he was different, but he had the same scars as Binghe… And nothing even happened!”

Luo Binghe heaved a dramatically big sigh and rested his cheek on the top of Shen Qingqiu’s head. “Nothing untoward happened?”

“Nothing.” Shen Qingqiu promised. “I just thought you were having a rough day, I helped him get comfortable, made us dinner, and went to bed. That was all.”

Luo Binghe pouted. “I suppose if it was that ancestor’s sacrifice that brought us together in the first place he deserves a taste, only a taste, of Shizun’s kindness. But no more.”

Shen Qingqiu found himself once again unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He patted Luo Binghe’s back comfortingly while he addressed the system once again. 

Tentatively, “...Did he enjoy himself?”

[Yes, User, Luo Bingzu was very satisfied. Although he promised not to pry into your affairs too often. It was quite taxing on all of us systems to help him visit.]

Shen Qingqiu had a soft heart, especially towards Luo Binghe. Knowing the tale of Luo Bingzu made his heart ache for that poor unloved version of him. 

Shen Qingqiu rested his head on Luo Binghe’s shoulder, hugging him a bit tighter. 

“If Luo Bingzu ever wishes to visit again, he needn’t hide his identity. This one will welcome him into his home again.” It was the least the man deserved. As Luo Binghe had said, he was the reason he had met his husband in the first place, even if the spirits he had created had caused him unending woe before. 

[The system will let him know the next time it’s able. ^^] And with that it blinked out of existence. 

Shen Qingqiu leaned back from Luo Binghe’s embrace. “I told the system that it would be okay for Luo Bingzu to visit again in the future. When he is able.”

Luo Binghe scrunched his face in a pout, not entirely happy. “He’ll have to be upfront next time and not visit his husband when he is home alone.”

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh lightly in the face of this vinegar-eating beast in his arms. “If he does, I’ll send a message talisman to husband to let him know.”

“Okay,” Luo Binghe agreed. “Only if Shizun cooks for this Binghe. You cooked for that one? On your own?”

Shen Qingqiu grimaced, remembering how he had spoiled his hard work yesterday by simply oversalting the congee. “Yes…”

“How unfair… Shizun’s first solo-dish given away to someone else!” lamented loudly. 

“Come, come, come,” Shen Qingqiu urged him inside, afraid of the scene he was making being seen. He tucked the white lotus delicately into his sleeve before wrapping the blanket around both him and his husband and leading him inside of their home. “Dont weep, this master will make his second ever solo-dish right now for you alone…”